Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments
For any new development, developers are required, wherever possible, to protect existing habitats and ecosystems. To ensure that any habitat loss is identified and mitigated in the early planning stages means that developers will need to carry out specialist site surveys and assessments by licenced ecologists.
As of 12th February 2024, it is now a legal requirement for developers to deliver 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG) in new developments. This is expected to impact over 100,000 planning applications annually and is considered one of the most significant changes to planning in over 30 years.
Ecology by Design are one of the market leading Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) ecology consultancies and have a wealth of experience helping clients comply with the new legislation.
Work with licensed and experienced ecologists
We are a team of licenced ecologists and biodiversity net gain experts who have years of experience in delivering concise and clear results for developers looking to achieve biodiversity net gain.
Our ecological services for biodiversity net gain assessments include:
Biodiversity net gain consultation
Initial habitat surveys, comprised of:
Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) if required
Biodiversity net gain calculation of development land
Biodiversity net gain calculation of offsite land, (if applicable)
Appraisal of multiple sites to secure the most efficient solution
Identification of suitable offsetting sites
Estate plans to secure the sale of biodiversity credits
30-year habitat management plans
Liaison with planning authorities, estate owners and other stakeholders
Complete end-to-end solution for habitat banking
Ecology by Design can offer various services to support you through the process, with a balanced approach to ensure the best outcome for you and the environment. We work efficiently to provide you with expert advice and the best possible plan to ensure that all legal requirements are met with your development.
What is biodiversity net gain?
Biodiversity Net Gain is the name given to a process of biodiversity offsetting whereby any habitat loss caused by a new development is mitigated to ensure an overall increase in biodiversity post-development. As part of initial development plans, developers are increasingly required to demonstrate that biodiversity loss is mitigated. To establish the best way to protect the habitats on-site, a metric is used. To achieve biodiversity net gain, a development must show evidence that a development will increase the biodiversity value of a site by at least 10%. This statistic is presented in the value of a biodiversity net gain metric called ‘biodiversity units’.
If habitats and ecological value cannot be added to the site itself, then mitigation plans must be put into place to ensure habitats. This can be achieved either by enhancing the on-site biodiversity or creating new habitats elsewhere.
How to calculate Biodiversity Net Gain
A biodiversity impact assessment can be completed utilising one of a few different metrics.
Natural England’s Biodiversity Metric (current version 3.0), is the most widely used.
For every habitat within a site, the metric assesses:
Distinctiveness – this includes species richness, diversity, rarity and whether it supports species rarely found in other habitats
Condition – the quality of the habitat
Connectivity – how connected the habitat is to other similar habitats
Strategic Significance – whether the habitat occurs within an ecologically desirable area and has been identified by a local strategy as such.